T&I News Update Week 30 2014…
Well, its been a busy and slightly unusual week. Tuesday morning saw the early starters arrive to find that vandals had paid us a visit and broken into the Museum, smashing windows and doors around Foulbridge, breaking into plant (which they appeared to be attempting to steal), breaking into period vehicles and ripping out wiring and damaging controls. One of our grey Fergie tractors was stolen and taken away from site and used to damage a local golf course – as reported in these news items (which make no mention of the damage done to our historic objects):
http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/update/2014-08-07/tractor-joyriding-stunt-devastates-golf-club/
Below: Brian is seen repairing the wiring on the Austin 10, which suffered a smashed window and damage to electrics and controls – he is still working to put it right days later. The Morris and Model Ts also suffered but are repaired and back in use, likewise our plant machinery. Needless to say the Police are investigating and we eagerly await news from them of progress on this.
Below: On a happier note, here is a photo of a cleaned and FTR’d Edward Sholto in steam, its owners enjoying a day with us and their locomotive. it is next booked to steam at Power from the Past in September – alongside a Welsh visitor – more on this next week…
Below: I have been trialling Samson’s livery and style – the bunkers being ideal testing areas for this! The green on the left hand bunker is flatted ‘Dark Green’ from the Craftmaster range – close to the Cambrian Railway’s ‘Invisible Green’ which I rather like…
Below: The lining style is also being investigated – seen here masked for the straight lines and with the corners applied, which are marked in with a compass then applied free hand.
Below: With masking tape removed – the green was previously flatted, whence the dull appearance. Not also the notes to myself!
Below: With a white trim applied, and the whole lot varnished, the result is rather smart! The white will probably be toned down and made thinner on the final version, but this gives some idea of the livery for Samson.
Below: Still on narrow gauge matters, the turnout to allow access to the second (northern) section of the triangle is on location and will be used to allow the curve to be aligned to give a smooth transition down from the Colliery Yard.
Below: Some time ago I decided that Samson would need a tender – not for regular running nor in the style of a locomotive tender, but a wagon of appropriate appearance in which additional coal and water plus tools could be stowed. I like the tall bottom discharge lead mine hoppers, and we have a number in our collection (and there are numerous similar examples at Killhope). The remains of another are also here and are shown below – this one will be restored with amended drawgear to make it compatible with various other narrow gauge vehicles, but it should fit well with Samson and its lead mine origins.
This is very sad news indeed and raises two issues in my mind. The first is security. There is no mention of an alarm being triggered or whether CCTV images are available to the police. The second concerns whether the museum seeks to engage with disaffected youth and whether they offer themselves to the local probation service as a location for community service? It strikes me there would be plenty of scope for both.
Hello Jim – for rather obvious reasons we don’t go into our security arrangements online! Needless to say, the Police have good evidence to work with and hopefully this will lead to arrests. With regard to working with the disaffected youth – this is something the wider Museum has considered, but at present there is no scheme in place, nor, to be honest, the time to manage such a scheme, certainly in the T&I team. Best wishes, Paul
Sorry to hear of the break in and especially the mindless damage – hope it’s all repaired again soon.
The lining on “Samson” is looking good – although the dark green looks black on my monitor! It’ll be interesting to see the ore hopper in service with it.
It looks black on mine as well so don’t worry it’s not just you. Paul, struggling to work out what these wagons look like do you know of a picture of a complete example? Looks to be lots of interesting bits in the background too!!!
Hi Paul – Lead Mine Tubs similar to these: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g186267-d1829581-i74342118-Killhope_Lead_Mining_Museum-County_Durham_England.html though we will have a different buffer arrangement. Cheers, Paul
Sorry for delay, only just looked back: ‘Fraid not, that’s why I’ll be interested to see yours complete and in service!
I’ve seen just the bodies in-situ underground in a couple of locations, there’s a snap of one on my old website:
http://www.sbury8.plus.com/oldwebsite/mines1/nenthead/nenthead/nenthead.html
I think there’s another on the horse level in Smallcleugh, got a funny feeling there might be one in Brownley Hill, and an even vaguer recollection if you go into the further reaches of Capelcleugh (beyond the neck deep water and up the ladders) there’s another one up there as well.
In pretty much all the cases (not sure about C’Cleugh) the chassis and wheels are gone. I hadn’t noticed the Killhope ones, but it is a good few years since I went there.
I have got a booklet on mine trucks at home (possibly published by Northern Mines Rea.??) which does have some line drawings and photos in it, although there are quite a few references to information originating from the Beamish collection so is probably stuff you’re already aware of.
Hi Ian – I know the book you mean, by R. A. Fairbairn. We have a few of the London Lead Co hoppers, in various states of repair. Samson’s will be based on the worst bits of these (the best bits being left in original condition as a ‘specimen’ example). At the rate the engine is going, I’ll have to get these bits to the workshop fairly soon! Cheers, Paul
Yep – that’s the one. Just dug it out: “British Mining No 54”. It was going cheap on a stall at Llanfair Gala.
What particularly caught my eye was a line drawing (Fig 18) of a truck similar to one you’ve got preserved (apparently). It passes more than a passing resemplance to the trucks still underground at Snailbeach – earlier this year I finished accurately measuring one up and producing engineering drawings of it.
Absolutely nothing like the London Lead Company trucks, but I’ve just discovered that on the facing page is your piccy of “Samson” at Cornish Hush, so loosely related! Lol